February 17, 2021
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce the firm’s newly launched effort in pursuit of the MLT Black Equity at Work Certification. This certification is an innovative roadmap for employers to achieve Black equity in the workplace and will serve as an additional platform for the firm to further advance racial justice and equity.
“We, at Gibson Dunn, have had a longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion as core values of our business,” said Ken Doran, Chairman and Managing Partner of Gibson Dunn. “In pursuing this certification, we are proud to stand alongside leaders across all industries in taking meaningful action to ensure Black equity within our respective organizations.”
“The MLT Black Equity at Work Certification provides a concrete platform for organizations to make significant strides in advancing equity and to create lasting impact,” said Zakiyyah Salim-Williams, the Chief Diversity Officer of Gibson Dunn. “As part of the certification process, we will continue our focused efforts on making quantifiable, sustained progress in advancing Black equity across all principal areas, including representation, compensation, inclusivity, business practices, and racial justice contributions and investments. We view these measures as supplemental components to our comprehensive diversity efforts aimed at dismantling systemic barriers to opportunity and in maintaining an inclusive and equitable workplace.”
The MLT Black Equity at Work Certification is just the latest initiative Gibson Dunn has announced to further its commitment to advancing Black talent at the firm. In furtherance of its diversity mission, the firm’s Black Advancement Initiative is focused on the recruitment, retention and promotion of Black attorneys into the partnership and leadership positions across the firm. In addition to building the diverse talent pipeline, the Black Advancement Initiative is also focused on external efforts to combat systemic injustice and address other issues impacting the Black community, including civil rights work and criminal justice reform. During the latter half of this past year, 400+ Gibson Dunn lawyers spent over 16,000 hours on at least 50 new pro bono matters focused on racial justice. The firm’s robust diversity and pro bono efforts are central tenets of Gibson Dunn’s culture, and are reflective of the firm’s continued commitment to ensuring a more just and equitable future for all.
To learn more about Gibson Dunn’s diversity efforts, including the firm’s Racial Justice and Equity Initiative and Black Advancement Initiative among others, please see Gibson Dunn’s 2020 Diversity Report. For more information on the MLT Black Equity at Work Certification, please visit www.mlt.org.